There’s a possibility that the 16-team Kenyan Premier League could make a comeback in the 2026/2027 season. This comes from a set of proposals recently shared by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on June 16.
The FKF is looking to boost the competitiveness and overall appeal of Kenya’s league system. They’ve put forward some ideas to revamp our football structure, which includes everything from adjusting the number of leagues in the country to setting clear rules for promotion and relegation.
One of the standout proposals is to shift from the current 18-team FKF Premier League to a 16-team Kenyan Premier League after the 2025-2026 season.
To make this happen, next season will still have 18 teams in the top tier, but with four of them being relegated to the National Super League (NSL) at the end of the season.
This plan would pave the way for the return of the 16-team league, bringing a fresh change to the football landscape. In this new setup, the three bottom clubs at the end of each season would be relegated, while two teams from an updated second tier would earn promotion.
If clubs are on board with it, this shift would see the end of the 18-team FKF Premier League, which has been with us since January 2017. Exciting times ahead for Kenyan football!